On Sun, 01 Jul 2012 08:44:19 -0500, Leon lcb11211@swbelldotnet
wrote:

On 6/30/2012 5:17 PM, Larry Jaques wrote:
On Sat, 30 Jun 2012 16:29:53 +0000 (UTC), Larry Blanchard
wrote:

On Fri, 29 Jun 2012 19:02:26 -0400, Mike Marlow wrote:

What it would require is an accurate analysis of what has triggered
exploding health care costs, figuring out where the money really goes,
and finding solutions to getting the costs under control.

Correct. It won't be any single place since it includes things from
crazy malpractice awards, to the fear that attorneys put into the hearts
of the companies they represent, to profits that insurance companies
gobble up every year, to the cost of "wages" within the medical
community. Lots of areas to look at, and I'm sure this list is just a
small part of it all.

Agreed.

You forgot to mention the drug companies. You know that R&D expense
they're always harping on? Turns out most of it is spent analyzing how
to modify a competitors product just enough that they can bring out their
own version. Very little is spent on developing new drugs.

It is also spent on advertising the drugs they went out of their way
to produce, to make people think they had some new disease, which the
drug in question just happens to cure.

Pharmaceutical advertising is in the tens or hundreds of billions
annually, depending on your scope.

Yeah, a far twenty third place behind the ads for tennis shoes,
ambulance chasers, campaign ads, greeney ads, etc

So what? I opt out/boycott/don't buy the exotic tennies, rent
speaking weasels, donate to corrupt politicians, or support tree
huggers. But when I need meds, I want them to be reasonably priced.
The fact that our own pharmceutical companies sell the exact same
drugs to Europe and the rest of the world at 1/5 (or less) the price
they gouge us for, to me, is unconscionable. I can't opt out of
needing meds, though losing weight is doing as much for my high BP as
the Lisinopril. Luckily, it's one of the $4/mo drug prescriptions. The
cost of one month's worth of HIV drugs exceeds the annual income of
citizens from most other nations.

The medical community has put itself on pedestals which we can no
longer afford to ignore or condone.

--
If you're trying to take a roomful of people by
surprise, it's a lot easier to hit your targets
if you don't yell going through the door.
-- Lois McMaster Bujold